Kildare come from behind to beat Longford

Kildare 1-14, Longford 2-06 (full-time)

Kildare advanced to a semi-final date with Meath or Westmeath next month, following a bruising encounter with Longford at Cusack Park.

The home side only struck four first-half scores, but held the lead at the break, 2-2 to 0-7. Burly target man Niall Sheridan cut in past his marker David Lyons to fire low for a goal on two minutes.

Kildare, with Killian Brennan to the fore, took the ascendancy on 19 minutes, from a John Doyle free, 0-5 to 1-1.

Doyle skewed two of Kildare's five wides in the opening 35 and they paid the price when basketball international Trevor Smullen stole in for Longford's second goal on 25 minutes, from a Sheridan offload.

Three points within the first 10 minutes of the second period saw Longford take a four point lead, but Tadhg Fennin crucially nipped in for 1-1 within 90 seconds with eight minutes remaining.

Those scores plus Eddie McCormack's arrival drew the visitors away, relying on their superior fitness, in spite of seven second-half wides.

Meanwhile, Sligo comprehensively defeated London by 3-11 to 0-09 at Ruislip.

Antrim lead favourites Cavan at the break by 2-06 to 0-04, while in the Munster SFC it's all square at the break between Waterford and Tipperary - 1-04 to 0-07.